Popular Tearjerker Song Rankings [2026]

KanadeSukima Suichi71rank/position

Sukima Switch – “Kanade” Music Video : SUKIMASWITCH / KANADE Music Video

This is one of Sukima Switch’s signature ballads, the kind you want to listen to when the season of farewells arrives.

Released as a single in March 2004, it’s also well known as an insert song for the film “Rough” and as the ending theme on the final day of the 2006 “Nettō Kōshien.” The lyrics, set to a wistful melody, portray parting with someone important while holding on to hope for the future.

Many listeners are surely moved by its message of a strong bond that keeps people connected through song even when they’re apart.

Featured on the album “Natsugumo Noise,” it has remained beloved and has been covered by many artists.

It’s a song perfect for spring, when life changes—whether you’re taking a new step forward or looking back nostalgically on your youth.

from Y to YJimii Samu P72rank/position

Hatsune Miku from Y to Y

It’s a medium-tempo ballad that gently wraps a heartrending farewell.

Composed by JimmySamP, who also created “Calc.” and “No Logic,” it was released in 2009.

Featured in the rhythm games “Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd” and “Project SEKAI: Colorful Stage! feat.

Hatsune Miku,” it’s a classic that has captivated Vocaloid fans for many years.

The delicate piano-centered arrangement paired with a sentimental melody is truly wonderful.

This song stays close to the hearts of those burdened by the pain of heartbreak and loneliness, giving them the courage to look forward.

Give it a listen when you feel like having a good cry.

sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua)SEKAI NO OWARI73rank/position

Sakanaction “Sazanka”

This is a song by SEKAI NO OWARI whose lyrics, written from the perspective of someone watching over a dream-chaser up close, pierce straight to the heart.

It’s not just a cheer song; it portrays a deep love that sheds tears of joy precisely because it understands the pain and loneliness that accompany the process of taking on a challenge.

Released in February 2018, it was also chosen as NHK’s broadcast theme for the PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics.

It’s included on the album Lip as well.

Bearing the name of a flower that blooms powerfully despite the cold, this piece is sure to stand with everyone facing adversity.

It’s a moving song that gently warms the heart—one to hear when you’re striving desperately toward a goal, or when you’re quietly supporting someone else.

DarlingMrs. GREEN APPLE74rank/position

Mrs. GREEN APPLE "Darling" Official Music Video

This is a poignant song that delicately expresses feelings hidden deep in the heart.

Released in January 2025 as the theme song for NHK General’s special program “Mrs.

GREEN APPLE 18 Festival,” it centers on the importance of staying true to yourself.

While carrying loneliness and anxiety, it conveys gratitude toward those who accept you as you are, resulting in a track that deeply resonates with the emotions of younger generations who grapple with inner pain and conflict.

With an emotive melody that epitomizes Mrs.

GREEN APPLE and a powerful, heart-stirring message, this work is sure to support anyone who seeks to face themselves and move forward.

I became someone else’s girlfriend.wacci75rank/position

wacci “I Became Someone Else’s Girlfriend” Music Video

A song that captures the complex feelings of a woman telling her ex that she’s found a new partner.

Her current boyfriend is mature, kind, and makes her feel safe, yet she can’t help but remember how naturally she could be herself around her ex—the song carefully portrays that inner conflict.

Written by wacci’s vocalist Yohei Hashiguchi after hearing a story from a female friend, the track was released digitally in 2018.

Its popularity spread by word of mouth, and by 2021 it had surpassed 100 million total streams.

Recommended for anyone who wants to treasure their current relationship but can’t quite let go of lingering feelings for an ex.

366 daysHY76rank/position

HY – “366 Days” Live Music Video

A gem of a ballad by HY, a mixture band from Okinawa, included on their 2008 album HeartY.

Chosen as the theme song for the film Threads of Red, it became a major hit.

Based on member Izumi Nakasone’s own experience of heartbreak, the lyrics candidly portray the aching feelings of being unable to forget someone after a breakup.

Carried by a simple piano melody, the powerful vocals convey the protagonist’s pain and lingering attachment with great depth.

Though centered on an unfulfilled love, it’s a masterpiece that brings the feelings for the other person poignantly to the fore.

Last NightMorgan Wallen77rank/position

Morgan Wallen – Last Night (One Record At A Time Sessions)

This country-pop masterpiece vividly captures the emotional ebb and flow between lovers after a bittersweet night.

Released in January 2023 as the third single from the album “One Thing at a Time,” it drew major attention and set an astonishing record by topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 16 consecutive weeks.

Carried by Morgan Wallen’s warm vocals, the protagonist’s feelings are carefully woven from dusk through dawn.

The resonance of acoustic guitar and pedal steel highlights the lingering sweetness and sorrow of a single night, wrapping you in a tightening ache with every listen.

The emotions wavering between parting and reunion with a once-beloved partner are the very essence of the youthful pain many have experienced.

It’s a perfect song for when you want to revisit a past love or spend a quiet night facing your feelings.